NEWS / UK to bolster criminal background checks in new visa applications

The government of the United Kingdom has announced stricter new requirements for criminal background checks in its visa applications. Applicants for a number of specific long-term visa categories, most notably the Skilled Worker, will now be required to furnish criminal background checks for every country in which they resided for 12 or more months in the last 10 years, provided they were at least 18 years old at the time.

Dependents and partners over the age of 18 will also be required to provide the thorough new criminal background checks, Kenyan diaspora news blog Mwakilishi reports.

The new requirements will apply to immigrants seeking to work in healthcare, social care, and education (including working with children), as specified under the designated Standard Occupational Codes. Under the new rules, employers in the health and education sectors are also liable to conduct criminal background checks for candidates with international backgrounds.

In the meantime, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACRO) Criminal Records Office will continue to issue United Kingdom criminal background checks for those applying for visas in other countries. Their International Child Protection Certificate (ICPC) is issued on the basis of both UK and international criminal records databases.

In some cases, if the source country does not have an option for issuing a criminal background check, or foreign authorities refuse to do so, applicants must document that they have made sufficient efforts to obtain a background check.

Applicants that previously resided in the United States would normally be required to provide criminal background checks from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). These background checks would later need to be apostilled for use in the United Kingdom. If you require assistance with the process, feel free to e-mail us at info@apostille.us or call us at (212) 233-7061. You may also wish to apply on our website.